The Stranded & Loved
by 123AzogISee
Summary: Fic written as part of the VLD Lunar Ladies event for Ladywithpurplehair. One-shot. Stranded planet side without any means of escaping, how do the Paladins fare? Pidge-centric. Platonic Pidge x the other Paladins if you look hard enough.


"Come on!" Pidge complained as the offending object fell away from her with several loud clatters against metal before it settled on the floor several hundred feet below with a reverberating clang. "Stupid piece of junk," she muttered as she released the wall, hanging from the broken down console by her feet. Carefully, she pulled the panel away from the base, digging into its guts and plucking out parts that were still in somewhat usable condition. Tucking them away in her backpack, Pidge glanced around for a place to stand before she spotted a ledge several feet below. With a small grunt of exertion, she unhooked her legs from the console and flung herself in the ledge's direction. Her calculations were slightly off. Pidge landed on the ledge alright, but she cough out a shout of surprise when it jammed into her stomach angrily. "Ow," she croaked, working a leg over the edge and heaving herself up to rest on her back with a hand massaging her abused abdomen. After ten minutes of laying still, Pidge got up, wincing at the soreness in her stomach and hobbling into the hallway the ledge poked out from, fingers gliding along the metal wall.  
Things had been tough for a little while now. Neither the Castle nor the Lions had fared well during the attack on Zarkon's fleet, and after crash landing on an uninhabited planet in the Middle of Nowhere Quadrant the Paladins had been struggling to make ends meet. The Castle, was drained of energy and all her useful tools. The Lions, likewise, were sapped of almost all energy - anything more than basic controls for a few hours immediately caused a system wide shutdown. Unfortunately, both could only provide shelter - food and water had to be scavenged wherever it could be found. Luckily for them, Lance had found an underground lake not too far away from the crash site, and Hunk had scouted out potential food not too far from it. The finds had been welcome after several days running on rations - even Coran was sick of the prepackaged meals. It became a common sight to see the Blue Lion making runs to the lake every few days to bring back containers of water and for the Yellow Paladin to disappear for the day, only to return in time for dinner with a harvest worthy of Earth's finest.  
In their absence, the galaxy had seemingly lost its mind. Chatter on the semi-functioning radio reported that ships from all over the galaxy were crashing at random points in time, several ending up on their current prison with no survivors to be found. Honestly, it was quiznaking scary, especially considering that the hulls were for the most part intact - minimal exterior damage to be had. No signs of any electrical failures or anything of the sort either. It was most intriguing from an engineering and mechanical point of view, but the intrigue wore thin when you were in the same boat. So they set to taking advantage of others' bad luck. Hunk, quite happily, had found some dried packages hidden away in the galleys of the ships he'd visited, tucking them away on Yellow and adding them to the stores. Lance and Keith came to a temporary truce to scout out the farthest ships, once every week racing back and forth in the Lions as they catalogued each crash site with an obsessive fervor. Pidge couldn't blame them - she was going a little crazy herself.

Pidge's job was to scavenge parts from crashed ships for the Castle's repair. She thought she was doing well enough, even if they still hadn't come any closer to being space worthy. Besides, it gave her something better to do than panic and drive everyone else nuts. Shaking herself from her musing, Pidge pulled the straps of the bag over her shoulders, scanning the hall and comparing it to her map. Tisking, she looked up, pausing at the edge of an intersection before she jumped, jets working as they propelled her towards the next hall. It took a bit longer for her to reach the breach she originally entered the ship from, but it was easy going - almost straight up. Throwing herself at the warped edge of the rip in the hull, Pidge grunted and made a general commotion as she heaved herself up, legs flailing until they found a purchase.  
"Hey Green," she panted as she rolled onto her back and away from the breach in the ship's hull, the Lion purring softly as she bent, mouth opening in greetings. Pidge chuckled breathlessly, forcing herself to her feet. "Good girl." Idly, she patted one fang as she stepped aboard, slinging the pack from her shoulders as she was shuttled up to the control center. Green hummed around her as she sat, and the Lion took off, heading back to the Castle.

It was quiet inside Green's command center. Pidge almost reached for the radio before she shook herself. _You're just being paranoid_ , she scolded, curling her hands tighter around the flight controls to resist the urge. It was a quick flight, even with Green running on minimal power - the Castle came into sight within twenty minutes. From the air, the Castle looked almost functional - all the damage was hidden on her belly.

Wincing at the reminder of the battle, Pidge leaned back as she guided Green underneath one of the wings, the pair swooping towards the tiny entrance to the fortress. After a brief ping of the other Lions' locations, Green descended, shooting through the conveniently Lion-sized tunnel and emerging at their base of operations. Setting down on the third level exposed to the elements, Green shuffled backwards until she was secure, then lay down, mouth open. "Thanks girl," Pidge murmured as she walked out of the Lion, fingers trailing over her carapace. Carefully, she maneuvered herself down a set of stairs Keith had so helpfully installed, reaching the final floor of the Castle that gaped over the indention they'd made into the main hall.

Putting the bag back on a shoulder, she glanced around, smirking when she found Lance carefully examining the makeshift fish tank he and Hunk had constructed a couple days ago. The soft clang of her boots on the ground alerted him to her presence, and he turned around. A huge grin grew on his face as he threw his arms up in greetings.  
"Pidge!" Lance beamed as she slid down his little ramp, welcoming her with a bear hug. "How's our resident techie doing?"  
"Pretty good." She took the bag off her shoulder, carefully putting it on the table behind Lance. "I got some good stuff from the new crash." Hunk, hidden away in one of the many side rooms, made a delighted "ooh!" and emerged, diving into the bag to rifle through the contents like a kid at Christmas.  
"Oh, did you manage to find any parts for the long range communications?" He asked absently as he lifted up a bundle of cables, testing their weight, and Pidge frowned.  
"Sort of? I mean I got some wiring but that was about it. I may need to just start taking some metal off the hulls and asking Green to help me reshape them into spares."  
"We're running low on solder supplies too," Shiro grunted as he dropped from the upper level, landing lightly on his feet. Lance flicked his fingers in greetings from where they rested on Pidge's shoulder as he held her in a loose hug, lips turning down.

"Ah man, I was hoping to repair the solar panels," Lance complained, toe scuffing at the ground. Keith huffed from an alcove, running a hand through his hair as he stared at the ground.

"That's gonna cut us down on progress," he grumbled, shoving himself from his den.

"I understand that but until we can find more, repairs are going to have to wait." Keith frowned, looking away, and he stood, wandering over to the table and snagging an oblong blue fruit from a crudely repaired bowl.

"On the bright side, Allura approved a short term relocation until we can scavenge enough parts for the Castle," Hunk interrupted before Keith could stew for too long, dropping Pidge's salvage back in the bag.

"Oh? Cool." Pidge grabbed a fruit for herself, eagerly biting into it and squeaking as faint purple juice oozed past her lips.

"Pfft," Lance snorted, drawing a scrap of cloth from his suit and dangling it at her shoulder. "You look like Barney."

"Shut up," Pidge mumbled as she took the rag, wiping her mouth before shoving the rag back at Lance's chest. Shiro laughed fondly at her, leaning on the edge of the table as Lance took the stained material, folding it into one of his pockets. His eyes scanned the tabletop, observing the shakily drawn map before he reached out, tapping a spot near the center.

"There's a good spot to stay until we can get the Castle running again." Pidge glanced at it curiously, teeth buried in the fruit. It was a good spot - not too far from the Castle, sheltered, elevated, and close to both sources of sustenance.

"Alright!" Hunk cheered. "It's near one of the groves I've been thinking about trying."

"Cool," Pidge chirped as she took another bite, neatly avoiding the oddly shaped seed at the core. "When do we move out?"

"Tomorrow morning, early," Shiro responded absently, fingertips ghosting over the map. "Everyone's done their share for the day. We need to rest." Lance nodded his agreement while Keith huffed, slipping backwards into the shadows and climbing up to Red's perch.

"Alright, I'll make some breakfast on the go with dinner," Hunk nodded to himself, ambling away to the fire pit tucked away by the food storage. An hour later there was a spread on the table, all neatly smoked and grilled. Dinner was, as usual, delicious despite the lack of modern utensils and spices. The Paladins gathered and ate quickly before retreating to their Lions - their beds were too far away to warrant sleeping in them.

As promised, when dawn came the Paladins began their trek for the day, making good time from the crash site to the first beginnings of a mountain range. The slowly inclining land sloped upwards, tempting them with shade and their new base. Hunk consulted his map, quickly powering it down when it flashed a warning at him.

"That way's a path up." He pointed between two towering trees, drawing attention to the tiny trail hidden beneath the shrubbery.

"Alright. Paladins, formation." Shiro set off for the path, led by Hunk with the other three trailing behind the sun was almost directly overhead the only sounds were exerted breathing, the forest's insects, and the tramping of boots in leaf litter. Pidge fell into the rhythm easily, almost hypnotized by the repetitive noises. That illusion was broken when she ran into Keith's back, stumbling back a step with a startled yelp. Disgruntled, she looked around him, ready to ask why they stopped before she saw what was in the way.

"That wasn't there the last time." Hunk's put-out expression almost made Pidge laugh as they stared at the massive tree laying across what was a path, part of the earth fallen away and exposing the cliff more.

"Any suggestions?" Lance asked Shiro, glancing his way as he fiddled with his bayard.

"Misplaced gunfire might set off a mudslide, if the recent rains have affected the surrounding area like it would on Earth," Shiro muttered, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his helmet. His lips thinned as he thought, examining the massive tree and its grasping roots, still covered in clods of dirt as they reached for the clouds.

"Maybe my bayard will work?" Pidge offered as she rose up on her toes, leaning forward slightly and peering down the edge of the cliff.

"That might be our only option right now," Shiro grunted, clearly unhappy with the situation. "Double back and try to find a lower path if you can."

"Roger dodger captain!" She snapped off a playful salute, turning around and trekking back down the path. The forest swallowed the others behind her, and she was soon subject to the noises of the planet. It was soothing. The light swayed hazily in the gloom, and it was by chance she found a small offshoot from the main trail they'd been following. Taking it, she swatted away overreaching branches and hanging vines, squinting when she broke through the treeline rather abruptly. "Okay, this looks a little suspect," she murmured to herself as se leaned forward, inspecting the thin line hugging the cliff face. "Not like I've got anything else to go off of," she told herself, diving into the walkway and inching her way along. It took her a good ten minutes to get far enough out for the path to open up, revealing a tiny landing that peered up at the main walkway several meters above her head.

"I found a path!" She yelled up the side of the cliff, inching forward to survey the tree. It didn't look too bad - if she got a few loops around the trunk she could probably pull it down. With a careful eye, Pidge retrieved her bayard, took aim, and fired off her blade. It overshot the fallen tree by an inch, but a slight tug on the line encouraged it to circle around the trunk, the edges biting into the bark. An experimental yank affirmed her confidence in her bayard, and she set her feet, using the line as a counterbalance.

"I'm pulling now!" Pidge yelled up the side of the cliff, hearing a vague response from one of the boys. The muggy air began to grow slightly thicker as she began to pull, arms beginning to ache as she struggled with the log. She strained to pull down the branch blocking the way, sweat slowly rolling down her back and face. Resetting her feet, she gave another tug and nearly slipped from the secondary path. She cursed, sliding the offending foot back for a better stance, and gave another mighty heave. The log began to roll, and she mentally cheered, pulling again. Her arms held onto the bayard as she continued to pull, but her legs collapsed, a pain racing up her leg as she fell down, whacking her head on the ground. A loud yelp echoed as the trunk rolled off the overhead trail, creaking noisily as it inched along.

"Ow," Pidge hissed as she pushed herself up on her elbows, flinching as the trunk crashed down close to her position before rolling off the edge and into the abyss. Shouts came from up the main path as the boys backtracked, trying to find the same path she'd taken to the offshoot.

"Pidge! Are you alright?" Lance yelled, and Pidge glanced down at her leg before she grumbled.

"I think so!" She responded, then yelped as she pulled her knees up. Okay, that wasn't good. "Uh, could someone maybe come get me?"

"On our way!" He shouted back before the trees ate anyone else's response. It was a good thirty minutes before they found the path, and Lance was the one elected to fetch Pidge. He slunk along the edge of the tiny track, carefully placing his feet and shuffling forward until the area opened up enough for him to walk normally. "How on earth did you manage to get down here?" Lance asked as he ducked underneath a knot of roots protruding from the cliff face, one hand trailing along the rough surface as an anchor.

"A lot of footwork," she laughed back at him, wincing when she jerked her leg up and a bolt of pain travelled up her calf.

"Can you walk?" He asked, squatting beside her.

"I haven't been able to get past this," she grimaced.

"I'll carry you back. Just grab onto me." Carefully, he lifted her up, and she turned into his chest, arms going around his neck.

"At least ask me on a date," she chuckled against his shoulder, and she felt his laughter as he cautiously made his way back up the trail. It took a lot longer than it took her the first time, but she was just glad when she was set on solid ground. The boys clustered around, worry evident in their eyes.

"Pidge? What's the problem?" Hunk got on his knees at her side, looking her over.

"I think I sprained something pulling that log down," she grumbled, one hand gesturing at her leg.

"Lemme look at it." Hunk carefully pulled her greaves off, feeling along her calf. There was a slight wince, but he didn't think it was worth worrying over. It was when he worked her sabatons off that Pidge whimpered, gritting her teeth. "Ooh," Hunk grimaced, holding her armor aloft. Her ankle had swollen considerably in the brief time she'd been down, which explained the difficulty he'd had pulling her boot off.

"You can't walk on that," Shiro immediately told her, lines appearing between his brows.

"What do you want me to do then? Crawl?" She snarked back, pushing herself up. He remained quiet for a moment, eyes downcast.

"We'll take turns carrying you."

"What? No!" She protested. "I'm not that hurt!" Hunk pressed on her ankle at that moment, eliciting a pained squeak.

"Either we carry you or you're staying here." Seeing the logic, Pidge folded her arms over her chest, grumbling to herself. "Lance, you get first shift."

"Aye aye," he saluted, bending down to pick her up. Hunk helped him maneuver Pidge onto his back, hands hooked around the back of her knees.  
"I'm not that hurt," she grumbled, wrapping her arms around his neck anyways. She was never one to say no to a piggy back ride. With her situated on Lance's back, the Paladins set back to the task at hand, picking their way across the path with specific care turned towards Lance and Pidge. Everyone took a turn carrying Pidge at some point throughout the day, but this slowed them down. Evening fell quickly before they reached the top of the ridge; Shiro called for a halt, wiping at his forehead with a grim look.

"We won't make the grove before nightfall," he grunted as he shook his head, frowning at the dirt. "Are there any caves around here?"

"Tons," Hunk responded. "There's actually one up this way, just off the trail."

"We'll camp there," Shiro nodded, glancing back at a glassy-eyed Pidge and Lance. The water-loving Paladin had insisted on taking care of Pidge despite his own growing exhaustion. Shaking his head again, Shiro gestured for Hunk to lead the way, and the gourmet turned back to face the trail, setting off at a rather quick walk. The rest fell in line, and as the path began to slowly incline more they started to fall behind.

"Over here!" Hunk yelled from ahead, and they saw his head poke out from behind a wall of stone. Gasping in relief, Lance jogged ahead, hurriedly entering the cave and turning at the entrance, trying to see through the darkness. A light blazed next to him, and he glanced at Keith.

"Thanks," he panted as he shuffled forward, bending down to let Pidge slide off his back. Tiredly, she grabbed hold of his armor, steadying herself on him before Hunk took her hand, guiding her to the floor. "Got anything for dinner Hunk?" Lance asked as he slumped against the cave wall, hands braced on his knees.

"Yeah, let me just…" Hunk mumbled, riffling through his bag before he drew forth a small package, tossing it at Lance. "Dinner courtesy of the _Forward Advance_ ," he laughed, handing out the other ration units to the others before he sat down next to Pidge. Absently, she leaned on his side as she ripped the MRE open, grimacing at the green goop she knew tasted horrible.

"Bon appetit," she gagged, forcing it down just like everyone else. Still, it was hard to keep it down. Hunk made a grunt of agreement when he glanced sideways and saw her shudder after swallowing a particularly nasty glop of the goop. Once they were done Hunk collected the packaging, folding them up and tucking them away in his bag for some later use. Shiro watched this with hooded eyes, gaze eventually wandering outside.

"Sleep, I'll take first watch." Shiro shifted on the rocks piled by the entrance, arms folding over his chest as he stared out at the rapidly approaching gloom. Keith and Lance both looked at him tiredly before shrugging, unpacking their bags. Lance approached Pidge first, throwing down his sleeping mat next to her and sitting down, hooking an arm around her middle to pull her to his side. She looked at him, and he shrugged helplessly.

"Didn't think you'd want to get your bag," he explained as he spread the blanket out, covering both of them while Keith plopped his bedroll by their feet and Hunk claimed her other side for the night.

"Astute observation Jeeves," she chuckled, leaning into his side and pulling the blanket up to tuck it under her arms. "Goodnight," she murmured as she nuzzled his shoulder, feeling Hunk carefully lay himself on her other side. She dropped her hand on his, grabbing it and giving a thankful squeeze before the darkness came up to swallow her.

"Night," Hunk fondly smiled, giving her hand a soft squeeze before he leaned back, joining her in sleep. Lance took a little longer to drop off, trading soft words with Keith before they both went limp. Shiro gazed into the cave, lit by starlight, and he smiled. The concern shown for Pidge made him inexplicably happy. Maybe it was because she always had a hard time coming out of her privacy bubble - he distinctly remembered Matt telling him Pidge didn't have many friends. Looking away from the tender dog pile, Shiro shifted, missing the soft peek of green eyes. Pidge stared at Shiro's outline, smiling to herself as she looked at the other three boys. Snuggling deeper into Lance's side, she carefully lifted her good leg up and tangled it with Hunk's legs, hand entwined with his. Happily, she drifted back into sleep, one thought at the front of her mind. Matt would always be waiting for her, but these guys were family too.


End file.
